As Donald Trump assumed the presidency in the United States, the authorities launched a crackdown against illegal immigration, even using military aircraft to deport immigrants. However, the authorities have stopped using military aircraft to deport migrants who entered the US illegally due to high costs, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has reported.
Soon after Trump took office, military aircraft were used to transport some of the migrants to their home countries or a military base at Guantanamo Bay, the report further said.
Notably, the Department of Homeland Security generally oversees the deportation of illegal migrants. Since the Trump administration wanted to send a strong signal, military flights were considered.
The WSJ report claims that military planes took longer routes, and these also transported fewer migrants, which resulted in higher costs to taxpayers than the government's typical deportation flights, which used civilian aircraft.
According to the report, the three deportation flights that were sent to India from the US alone cost USD 3 million each. The deportation flight to Guantanamo, which reportedly carried just a dozen people, incurred a cost of USD 20,000 per migrant.
The standard cost of a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement flight is USD 8,500 per flight hour. However, the cost of flying a C-17, which is used for carrying heavy cargo and troops, is about USD 28,000 per hour.
Trump made a crackdown on immigration a centrepiece of his bid for a second term, as he pledged to halt the tide of migrants entering the US and stop the flow of fentanyl crossing the border.
As part of that effort, he imposed 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada on Tuesday, saying neither is doing enough to address drug trafficking and illegal immigration.
The Trump administration has showcased its new initiatives, including putting shackled immigrants on US military planes for deportation flights and sending some to the US lockup at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
